Jose Mourinho has told Real Madrid to forget about reigniting their bid to sign David de Gea.
De Gea, 27, has once again been the star performer for Manchester United with the Spanish goalkeeper in sublime form all season and clearly in the conversation (if not dominating it) as the best stopper on the planet right now.
Amid reports that reigning European champs Real Madrid were due to once again test the waters with a bid for De Gea, Mourinho told Spanish outlet La Sexta the following.
“I see him here - I don’t know what the intentions are of Real Madrid but they should think about another player,” Mourinho said.
So, in a nutshell: get lost. He is ours.
However, De Gea has just 18 months left on the four-year contract he signed at United in 2015 after his move to Real Madrid failed at the last minute amid reports that a fax machine didn’t work properly in Real Madrid’s offices.
With De Gea leading the way in the race for the Golden Glove in the Premier League and also Spain’s undisputed No.1, the Spaniard is in a strong bargaining position when it comes to requesting a new deal at Old Trafford.
United have the second best defensive record in the Premier League with just 23 goals conceded across 30 games and with Mourinho’s men in second place in the PL, plus hoping to get into the last eight of the UEFA Champions League when they face Seville on Tuesday and also in the FA Cup quarterfinals. Progress is being made.
That progress will come to a shuddering halt if De Gea’s contract is allowed to run down to just one year remaining and his future will become an increasingly debated topic over the next few months if he doesn’t sign a new deal at United.
He makes United’s defenders better and the entire team seems steadier due to his presence. Mourinho and United must pay De Gea the big bucks if they’re serious about challenging Manchester City for the Premier League title for many years to come. It’s really as simple as that.
